A Second Chance Diverted
by Vernacular Jargon
Summary: Sequel to "We've Still Got Us." Joe reunites with William Carder after eight years, but William is not as Joe remembers.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any rights to _Bonanza_ or anything affiliated with it.

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon on the Ponderosa ranch. Joe Cartwright, the youngest of the Cartwright clan, was draped over an armchair reading a worn copy of _Robinson Crusoe_ that his oldest brother, Adam, had received for Christmas years back. Adam and Hoss, the middle of the three Cartwright sons, were playing chess on a card table a few paces away to Joe's left. In the nearby alcove sat their father, Ben Cartwright, who was reading last week's newspaper. He sighed and Joe looked up with a mix of both concern and irritation. "Pa, are you feelin' all right?"

Ben looked up from the paper, "Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Joe shrugged, "Oh, no reason. You've just sighed for the third-"

"Fourth," Adam interjected.

"-Fourth time since you've picked up that paper, and I was just wondering if something was wrong."

"I'm sorry, boys," Ben replied, "I'll stop."

Silence filled the house again for a few more minutes until Ben sighed a fifth time. Adam felt a twinge of annoyance, though he kept his face masked- even as he sharply slammed his knight in a suicide position that did not go unnoticed by Hoss, who licked his lips at the prospect of finally taking one of Adam's pieces. "Pa, something is obviously wrong. What is it?"

Ben placed the paper back on his desk and sighed once more, though cringing at the realization that he did. "Another ranch has been robbed. That's the sixth one this month, and the path the thief is taking is heading straight for the Ponderosa."

Hoss's queen was inching ever closer to Adam's king, though Adam took no notice as he concentrated on Ben instead, "So what are we going to do?" At this, Joe sat upright in his chair and held his place in _Robinson Crusoe_ with his forefinger.

"Stand watch over the Ponderosa," Ben raised his eyebrows in defeat, "I don't know what else to do. Roy can't patrol the Ponderosa at all hours, let alone all the other ranches that have yet to be robbed."

"So we'd each get four corners of the Ponderosa?" Hoss asked, turning away from the chess board. Ben answered Hoss's question with a nod and he whistled. "That's a lot of territory, and what makes you think that thief isn't already here someplace?"

"Yeah, Hoss," Joe nodded with mock seriousness, "he could even be right here in this very room."

It was Adam's turn to sigh and as he did, Ben held the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger and took a deep breath. "Joseph, this isn't a laughing matter. This thief has taken horses, supplies, and cattle in the middle of the day without a trace, and the only lead we have on him is the direction he's taking by the path of ranches he's hit."

"What makes you think the thief is a man? Maybe that's why the thief is never caught- we're looking for a man instead of a woman."

Though Adam understood Joe's point of view, he saw no validity in his argument. "A woman wouldn't need all of the supplies the thief has been stealing."

Joe shrugged, "She could always sell the things she steals. It's money all thieves want, isn't it?"

"This is beside the point, Little Joe," Adam interrupted. Joe thought it was because he proved Adam wrong so Joe didn't mind that Adam was telling him off. "The point is that the Ponderosa is next in line for a robbery, and we need to protect it."

"So then what are we sitting around here for?" Joe asked with a grin. He stood up and walked to the credenza near the front door to grab his hat and his gun belt. "I'll get the east corner," he said before he shut the door behind him.

"You know," Ben commented as he walked out of the alcove slowly shaking his head, "I sometimes wonder about Joseph."

* * *

><p><em>Why did I take the east corner?<em> Joe berated himself under the unbroken sun rays of the afternoon. An hour and a half on Cochise and Joe already felt a bead of sweat trickle down his backside. "It's going to be a long day, Cochise," he spoke aloud to his horse. Cochise softly whinnied, as if agreeing to Joe's statement.

Joe squinted his hazel eyes at the great expanse of territory that was the Ponderosa and saw no sign of movement, save for the occasional bird or small mammal. He reached behind him, still staring ahead, for his canteen but could not grasp it. Joe frowned and gave up his blind search to look behind him and found that he had forgotten his canteen in his hasty exit. "You're kidding me," Joe muttered to himself. In vain, Joe searched through his saddle bags to no avail. "How could I forget water?" Joe incredulously asked. "What was I thinking?"

Cochise whinnied and tossed her head in complaint to Joe's twisting and turning to find his canteen, making Joe realize fretting over his lack of water wasn't the best thing to do. "Sorry, Cooch," Joe settled down again, "I guess we'll just have to go to the nearest creek."

Joe looked up past his mount and saw a lone rider a hundred fifty yards ahead of him. The rider was too shirt and gangly to be any of the Cartwright's, Joe evaluated, and the mount the boy was riding wasn't one Joe was familiar with. _Thank heavens I didn't forget my gun_, he thought as the boy was approaching.

Once the boy was within a closer range, Joe called out. "Who are you and what are you doing on the Ponderosa?" Joe eyed a shotgun on the right side of the rider's saddle and Joe's left hand twitched for his own pistol.

"Joe, is that you?" The boy asked. "Joe Cartwright?"

"That's me," Joe replied with suspicion. "Who are you?"

The boy took off his wide brimmed hat to reveal a mess of dark blond curls that threatened to overtake his green eyes. The boy quickened his horse's pace to meet Joe, "You don't remember me?" He didn't look a year over eighteen, thought he looked nearly twelve when his handsome face broke in a wide, toothy grin. "I mean, it's been eight years, but I didn't think you'd plum forget."

Joe tilted his head to the side and looked harder. The boy's bright eyes looked so familiar, but why? Joe mentally went through his inventory of old friends, but none of them would be this young, unless- "Will? Will Carder?"

If it were possible, Will's grin grew even wider. "I knew you wouldn't forget."

At this realization, Joe took on Will's happiness and exclaimed, "Will! Has it really been eight years? You're what, seventeen now? How've you been? Where's your sister, Rebecca?"

At the mention of Rebecca, Will's sunny disposition was clouded over and his grin fell almost instantly. "I haven't seen Becky since I was fifteen. I don't wire her either."

"O-Oh," Joe stuttered at Will's unexpected mood turn-around. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be, it's for the best." Will sent a grim smile Joe's way before changing the topic for both their benefits. "Where's the rest of your family?"

Joe shrugged and scratched the back of his sweaty neck, "They're all in different corners of the Ponderosa. There's been a lot of ranch robberies lately and Pa's gettin' worried that the Ponderosa'll be next, so we're all keeping watch."

Will shook his head, "No, I don't think you'll be next. He knows you Cartwright's'll find him out."

"What makes you so sure?" Joe teased with a half smile, "You haven't been wanderin' with the wrong crowd, have you?" Will laughed at Joe's accusation.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any rights to _Bonanza_ or anything affiliated with it.

Joe rode back to the ranch house with Will during the lunch hour under the guise of reacquainting Will with the rest of the Cartwright's, though in reality, he had forgotten to bring a lunch. They reached the house in a little over an hour to find Ben's, Adam's, and Hoss's horses tied to the front post. "Are you hungry, Will?" Joe asked as he dismounted Cochise.

"Yeah, just a little," Will bashfully answered, though his stomach rumbled loud enough for both Joe and Will combined.

Joe laughed and tied Will's horse to the post. "C'mon, let's get some lunch." The two entered the house together and Will followed Joe into the dining room off of the great room to see the rest of the Cartwright's eating cold chicken. "Pa, Hoss, Adam, look who I found!" Joe exclaimed happily, "It's Will Carder!"

"Will!" Ben stood up from his chair with a smile on his face, "How are you, my boy?"

"I'm doin' good, Mr. Cartwright." Will nervously took off his hat and ruffled his blond curls.

"Come, come!" Ben exclaimed, motioning to the dinner table, "You're probably hungry. I'll get Hop Sing to set up another spot at the table." At once, Ben left for the kitchen to come back moments later with Hop Sing at his heels with silverware and a plate of food. Joe and Will sat down at the table and started to eat; Will ate as if he hadn't ever had a square meal, whereas Joe drank out of his glass with relish.

"Where is Rebecca?" Adam asked calmly, though he could feel the old anger rise in him again at the prospect of meeting the stubborn older sister of Will. Ben sent Adam a pointed look and Joe bit his lip.

"I don't know where Rebecca is," Will stated almost as calmly as Adam after he had finished swallowing a mouthful of chicken. "I haven't seen or heard from her in three years."

"Why not?" Hoss asked with a confused expression on his face, "I mean, she _is_ your sister, ain't she?"

Will's eyes clouded over in anger, "She neglected to tell me the truth about our dear, imaginary uncle in Reno and our father's true occupation until that last day I saw her. The only reasons why she told me were because we were running out of money and we had finally reached Reno after years of hiking in circles." The room was silent while the Cartwright's were processing this newfound information. "As far as I'm concerned, Hoss, Rebecca is _not_ my sister."

Again, it was silent for a moment until Ben asked a question that had been stewing in his mind for quite some time. "What have you been doing in the past three years without Rebecca?"

Will shrugged as he answered. "Do the same thing I did when I was with her. I'd gather food in the summer and in the winter I'd hole up in livery stables and earn my keep there for a night or two before I'd move on to the next town." Then he added bitterly, "It's the only life you have if you've known nothing else."

"Are you currently working at the livery stable in Virginia City?" Ben asked. Will replied with a shake of his head, which in turn gave Ben an idea. "Why don't you stay here and work on the Ponderosa? We'll give you a guest bedroom and you can stay here as long as you want, just give me a day or two's notice before you leave so I can find another hand. How about it?"

"I don't know too much about ranch work," Will said apprehensively, "so you might have to teach me a fair amount."

Hoss waved off Will's comment, "Not a problem, Will. We'll teach ya."

"All right then," Will said brightly with a grin, "I accept."

* * *

><p>Three days after Will arrived at the Ponderosa, he was sore in every single muscle in his being. On the first day, Will had tossed hay up in the mow of the barn and mended a mile of fencing with Hoss. Adam taught Will how to round up cattle on the second day and spent the rest of the day moving herds of cattle from one side of the Ponderosa to the next and had first-hand experience on how hard it was to move stubborn cattle that were stuck in a creek. On the morning of the third day, tired and sore, Will nearly fell down the stairs and nearly tripped on his old and torn boots once he reached the landing. Will plopped down on his chair too hard for his saddle-sore bottom and groaned into his plate of eggs. Joe tried to suppress a giggle and Adam took a draft of coffee with an amused expression.<p>

Ben grinned, "You've been working hard, Will, and we all appreciate that."

"Oh, ah, thank you, Mr. Cartwright." Will blearily looked up Ben before shoveling eggs and bacon into his mouth with an arm that would have felt like jelly, if he could have felt it past his screaming muscles. In between shoving forkfuls into his mouth, Will would be nearly nose-to-food as his eyes would become heavier and heavier.

"So much so that I've decided to give you the day off."

"What?" Will's fork clattered onto his plate and his green eyes were open wide: any hint of sleepiness was washed away with shock, "No, no, I'm fine. I don't need a break, I'm perfectly fine."

Ben grinned, "Just now you were nearly falling asleep in your breakfast. You need a day's rest, William. You've been working as hard as any experienced hand." Will shrugged and looked into his glass of water. "Why don't you go into town for the day? You need new boots anyway, don't you?"

"No, these fit me fine." Will looked down at his toes that he could see peeking out of the holes in his boots and the tip of one that was unattached and would flap whenever he walked. "They're broken in and comfortable."

"'Broken in'?" Hoss asked, "They're just plum broken!"

"Joseph," Ben went on, "I want you to go into town with Will to get the newest edition of the _Territorial Enterprise_. I'll give you money for the boots, the newspaper, and I'll give you some more for lunch at the International House."

"Thanks, Pa!" Joe said with a grin. He looked over across the table at Will, "C'mon, Will. You can't complain with a new pair of boots and a day in town."

Will caved in and nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Cartwright. I guess I do need a new pair of boots. I'll pay you back, I promise."

"There's no need to pay me back, you're in no debt." Ben smiled over his glass, "Think of this as a thank you for the work you've done so far. You and Joseph can saddle up your horses after breakfast. Adam, Hoss, and I can hold down the Ponderosa while you're both away."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any rights to _Bonanza_ or anything affiliated with it.

After breakfast, Joe entered the barn with Will following right behind him to saddle up their horses for the ride to Virginia City. "What do we plan on doing all day?" Will asked as he placed his coarse blanket on his horse's back. "I'm runnin' out of ideas already."

"Then you are forgetting the most important thing when visiting Virginia City, Will," Joe paused for dramatic effect as he hoisted his saddle onto Cochise. "Poker."

"All day? Combined, we don't have enough money to last one round!"

Joe barked out a laugh and shook his head, "Will, I am the _master_ of poker in Virginia City. When we get there, you just watch and learn for a game or two. You won't even believe your eyes." Joe added as an afterthought, "Would you like to know my secret?" Will's blond curls bounced violently as he nodded. Joe leaned close to the boy as he whispered, "I buy them rounds of drinks. They're miners- they won't refuse a drop. Before you know it, they're too drunk t' think straight, and I win the game!"

"You're joking," Will laughed, "that's almost too easy."

"Well, I admit, it also takes a bit of skill with the cards for it to work, but the alcohol puts the game in my favor."

Until they were out on the road to Virginia City, both Will and Joe were contented in the silence in which they were riding, though Will was battling with himself about a topic of conversation he wanted to talk about with Joe. Will opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it with a snap before looking nervously at an oblivious Joe. He tried again. "Uh, J-Joe?"

Joe turned away from looking at the horizon to Will, "Yeah?" He noted Will's worried tone and drawn face. "Is something wrong?"

"I… I might know who the ranch thief is." Will looked down at his hands and waited for the inevitable.

Joe was silent for a moment; he was happily surprised but he could see that Will was having trouble with his knowledge. "Well that's great, Will!" Joe finally exclaimed. "Who is it?"

Will shook his head, "I can't tell you. I just can't. Not now."

Joe looked back at the horizon to try to make sense of Will's statements and to quell his confusion and anger that flared at Will's refusal. Still looking at the countryside, Joe responded, "You just told me that you knew who the thief was, but when I asked, you didn't want to tell. Are you hiding something, Will?" He turned to Will, who was still looking at his hands. "What _have_ you been doing since I last saw you?"

"Nevermind." Will bitterly replied. "I don't even know why I told you."

Joe clenched his reins tighter, doing all he could to keep his anger in check. "You're the thief, aren't you?"

Will's head snapped up at Joe's accusation, "I said nothing of the sort!" He barked, eyes ablaze, "The thief is a friend of mine and he trusts me not to tell."

"Some friend." Joe remarked, "Does he share his findings with you? I mean, you are friends and all."

"I don't need to hear this," Will muttered. He urged his horse on faster with the dual purpose of running off steam and creating distance between himself and Joe. Joe didn't complain.

Once Virginia City was in sight, Will slowed down his mount and Joe caught up with him on Cochise. Both were too stubborn to apologize, so they stayed silent. They rode into town side-by-side until they reached the _Territorial Enterprise_. "I'll be right back," Joe said as he dismounted. Will watched Joe retreat into the skinny wooden building and when he disappeared, he dug into his pocket and fingered the ten five-dollar bills that were hiding inside the cotton folds of his pants to make sure they didn't fall out on the ride from the Ponderosa. A minute later, Joe came out from the _Territorial Enterprise_ with a folded newspaper in his left hand and a grim expression on his face.

"What's the matter, Joe?" Will asked when Joe was within earshot. He slowly took his hand out of his pocket as if there was nothing important in there.

"Three days ago, fifty dollars were stolen in broad daylight at the Peterson's Ranch, right next to the Ponderosa." Joe stuffed the newspaper into his saddlebag, "Though you probably already knew that, with your connections and all."

Will gripped his reins tight, "That isn't fair."

"No, it isn't. And you know what else isn't fair?" Joe asked angrily as he mounted Cochise, "It isn't fair that nearly every single rancher in the territory has been robbed of one thing or another when you have the opportunity to turn the thief in, but you won't, because he's a friend of yours."

Will didn't reply. Instead, he followed Joe on his horse to the Mercantile where they were to stop to buy Will a new pair of boots. Joe dismounted Cochise, though Will stayed saddled. "I don't need any shoes. Mine are just fine," Will muttered.

"Don't josh with me, Will. I can see your stockings outta the holes in them. You're getting a new pair of shoes even if it kills ya."

"Then I'm paying. I can buy them myself." Will hopped off his horse and tied the reins to the post outside before entering the Mercantile with Joe, both putting on smiles for the owner even though there was still coldness between them.

The two walked past a display of women's boots before reaching the men's section by the front window. Will quickly picked up a pair of leather boots that looked like his size and quickly shoved them onto his feet. "How do they fit?" Joe asked as he looked at the price tied around the left boot- $5.

"They need breaking in, but they fit." Will took the boot off and grabbed its pair before heading up to the front desk. "Don't worry about the price, Joe, I got it." He didn't give Joe a chance to respond before he dug out a five dollar bill from the pocket of his trousers.

"Where did you get that?" Joe asked suspiciously.

"I did a quick job before I found you a few days ago," Will grinned as the owner of the Mercantile wrapped his new boots in brown paper. Joe suspected there was a double meaning behind Will's comment. "I still got some money left over to play a game or two of poker. You ready?"

"When am I not?" Will grabbed his parcel and the two walked out the door and across the street to the Silver Dollar where they spent the rest of their money well into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any rights to _Bonanza_ or anything affiliated with it.

Adam had to bite into his biscuit to hide his grin as he saw Joe and Will fumble down the stairs for breakfast, tired from their late night gambling. Will was faring much worse than Joe- Joe had been out late playing poker before, but this was Will's first experience. Once he sat down on his chair he bobbed his head once, twice, and a third time before he gave in and crash-landed his head on his hand for support. "Late night, Will?" Adam asked, catching the attention of Ben behind the newspaper Joe had thrown on the kitchen table when they got home.

"What time did you boys get back from Virginia City?" Ben asked, staring down both of the boys from the head of the table.

Joe shrugged, "It wasn't that late," he mumbled tiredly, avoiding a direct answer.

"Joseph," warned Ben.

Joe squinted down at his plate of scrambled eggs and scooped up a forkful, "Around one thirty."

Ben noisily placed his coffee cup in its saucer, startling Will into consciousness with a jolt. "I've told you time and again to stop gambling late at night, have I not?" Joe didn't look at his father and instead chose to look down at his plate where he was chasing his eggs around his plate. Ben raised his voice to grab his son's attention, "Joseph, look at me and answer my question."

Joe grimaced and set his fork down before looking up at Ben, "Yes, you have."

"I want you and Will to make repairs on the barn roof today, so both of you better be awake and alert by the end of breakfast."

"Yes, sir."

Satisfied, Ben went back to his newspaper, but it wasn't long before he spoke again, "Another ranch was robbed, four days ago."

Will immediately woke up and sat straighter. Joe's eyes narrowed.

"What ranch was it this time?" Adam asked, taking a sideways glance at Will.

"The Williams' Ranch."

"That's no more'n fifteen miles from here!" Hoss exclaimed. "What was stolen?"

Ben scanned the article to find the amount before replying, "Fifty dollars. Again, it was stolen during the day- early morning." He folded the paper with thin lips and placed it down next to his fork before looking at both Joe and Will, "Boys, while you're up there on the roof, you also have a bird's eye view of the ranch house. Keep a close eye on it, will you?" Both Will and Joe nodded.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you," Joe spoke in a low voice as he and Will were gathering supplies from inside the barn.<p>

Will was in the middle of grabbing the ladder when he stood still for a moment, "What d'you mean?"

"You know what I mean." Joe sent Will a nasty look when he passed him with an armful of new boards for the roof. He checked Will's shoulder with his own as he left the barn. Will stuck up his chin and grabbed the ladder before following Joe.

Taking large strides to catch up, Will was starting to feel hot underneath his collar, "If you think I stole that fifty dollars, then you've got another thing comin'."

"Oh, put a sock in it, will ya?" Joe dropped the boards on the ground and spun around to look Will straight in the eye, "I know you're the one stealin' from every ranch this side o' the Rockies. Why don't you just admit it?"

Will jutted out his chin, "You don't have any proof that I'm the ranch thief."

"You act real suspicious whenever we touch the topic with a ten-foot pole. Was that job you had before you came _really_ an honest, payin' job, or do you plan on making thievery your occupation?" Joe let his question sink in before he snatched the ladder from Will's slackened hands. "Don't want this stolen. Now if you don't mind, I've got a job t' do as well, though it's a mite more lawful than yours."

Will dropped his hands to his sides, fighting against every fiber in his being to slug Joe then and there. "That hits below the belt, Joe."

Joe leaned the ladder against the roof of the barn, "Then maybe you should start tellin' the truth."

"I've never told a lie."

"You've kept things from us," Joe retorted. He grabbed the tool kit from the ground and put one foot on the first rung of the ladder, "I know all those tricks: I was a handful when I was a kid. Who knows, I probably still am, so I know what you're doing and it ain't workin'." He shimmied up the ladder to dispose of the kit before he climbed back down to start lugging up the boards. "Your sister did the same thing when she was over here last. You're no better now than she was then."

Will was quick to raise his fist in the air in anger. Joe didn't even flinch; instead, he frowned. "You're more like your sister than you realize. She slapped Adam after he accused her of being no better than your father."

Will was on the brink for a moment, his eyes conveying a mix of emotions before he closed his eyes and dropped his fist at his side. "No," he muttered. Will sighed and his shoulders slumped. "I haven't been completely honest with you, Joe, though you've probably guessed by now that I've stolen from all those ranches. I only steal just enough to get by and I haven't stolen anything at all since I found you."

Joe furrowed his eyebrows at Will's confession. Yes, he had suspected for some time, but it was still disheartening that Will could turn into a seasoned ranch thief before the age of eighteen. "Did you even think to start a new life that included an honest pay?"

"I didn't know how!" Will exclaimed. "I know how to lie and steal and that's it. Sure, I can read and write, but that won't help much in the way of chores and labor." Then Will motioned to the barn, "I don't even know how to fix a barn roof."

"I can teach you," Joe offered. "You can stay on the Ponderosa as a hired hand." Joe watched Will's face brighten, though Joe had one condition, "But you have to tell the Sheriff what you told me."

"What? No!" Will exclaimed. "If I do that, I'll go to jail or get hung!" He felt around his neck, imagining what the noose would feel like.

"Just because you haven't been stealing for a week doesn't mean you're not a thief anymore," Joe said. He straightened his shoulders, "Besides, if you don't tell Sheriff Coffee, I will."

Both anger and fear tinted Will's voice. "You do that and you'd be digging my grave, Joe."

Joe shrugged as if to look nonchalant, though on the inside he would've given anything to see Will get off scot-free, still remembering the little boy that came to the Ponderosa eight years ago. "Perhaps if you were to turn yourself in and guaranteed to repay the damages, they wouldn't hang you."

It looked as if Will was thinking it over, but he was actually just numb with mixed feelings and thoughts that spun around in his head. "Please, Joe, just give me time to tell the Sheriff, won't you? I need to think this over still. Promise me you won't tell the Sheriff yourself?"

Joe hesitated before responding, taking in Will's pleading looks. "I'll give you five days to think about it, though there really isn't anything to think about. You have to confess to Sheriff Coffee." He looked back at the supplies that were scattered near the barn. "Now c'mon, let's fix this roof before my Pa has our hides."

Will's mixed look of blind fear, indecision, and gratitude nearly tore Joe in two: he didn't promise to stay away from the Sheriff and if he had any suspicion that Will was going to run away, Joe would race to Roy at the same speed. He hoped Will would realize what he should do in five day's time, otherwise Joe would have to make a very long trip into town.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any rights to _Bonanza_ or anything affiliated with it.

Four days later after a filling supper of chicken and potatoes, Will went up to bed, still unaccustomed to the ranch life he was thrust into. Hoss and Adam were playing a game of checkers in the main room and Ben was reading a book near the fireplace. Joe was staring at the checkers game intently, though he was thinking about the conversation he had with Will four days prior. Ben, realizing that his youngest had been too quiet when Hoss had jumped one of Adam's pieces, looked up from his Dickens novel. "Joseph?"

Joe kept staring at the checkers game, not hearing his father. Ben called his name again and it was then that Joe blinked and looked over. "Yeah, Pa?"

"Something's troubling you," Ben ventured, "What's the problem?"

A cloud came over Joe's face and it looked as if his eyes were looking at something far away. He shook himself out of his daze and shifted his gaze toward his hands. "If you knew something that would put our friend's life in jeopardy, but would help solve a problem that's affected a lot of other people, would you tell someone about it?"

Ben knew this had something to do with Will, but he would play along for the time being. "Well, I would put it this way- would you rather save twenty strangers' lives or the one life of your friend?"

"No, it's not like that," Joe started to grow frustrated. "It's not a matter of life or death for twenty people."

Adam looked up from the board, having overheard everything. "Then it isn't a big deal. It's one life verses twenty."

Joe sighed and ran his hands through his curly hair, "No, no, no. It's not like that. You don't understand."

Growing increasingly frustrated with his losing streak, Hoss burst out, "Then why don't cha tell us straight out instead of using all those dern 'what-if's' ya keep talkin' about!"

Joe bit his bottom lip, weighing the options. "Promise you won't tell?"

Adam rolled his eyes, "Cross our hearts. Now would you tell us what's bothering you?"

Joe gave Adam a nasty glare before starting, something Ben didn't appreciate. "Well, I know who's been stealing from all those ranches. It's Will; he told me when we were fixing the barn roof a couple days ago. He told me that he had wanted to stop, but it was the only thing he knew how to do until he came to the Ponderosa. Since he came here he hasn't stolen anything because he's earning money by working for us. I told him he can stay here permanently, but that won't erase his past- he's gonna have to confess to Sheriff Coffee about it."

Ben nodded, "That was very good of you, Joseph."

Joe ignored his father: praise was not what he needed at the moment. "I gave him five days to decide and if he won't confess by then, I'd go. Tomorrow's the fifth day and he hasn't gone yet."

Adam shrugged, the checker game long forgotten, "That doesn't sound like much of a problem. You gave him enough time to think about it. I'd say it's fair."

"I don't want to get Will in trouble after all that he's been through with Rebecca and everything." He remembered how Will's older sister ruined his chance at a normal childhood by carting him aimlessly around the west.

"Joseph, Will chose to steal _after_ he left Rebecca. He says that he didn't have a choice, but there is always a choice, no matter what situation you're in. If he steals, he has to pay the consequences." Ben looked over at his youngest and wished he could say something to ease the worry lines on his son's forehead.

"Pa's right, Little Joe," Hoss agreed, "he can't run off scot-free after he's stolen from how many ranches in the territory."

"I know it's hard, son," Ben continued, "but Roy has to know about this."

"But Pa," Joe continued, "Will could be hung for what he did."

"He'll be given a fair trial," Adam added. "He might just end up having to pay for the stolen goods."

Joe looked away. Despite all the help his family was in the matter, he was still torn on the subject. "I'm going to get some fresh air."

"Don't stay out too late," Ben called as Joe was making his way to the door. The only response he got was the click of the door handle.

Hoss looked up toward the stairs, making sure Will hadn't heard the conversation. He didn't want to relive the confrontation they had with Rebecca when she eavesdropped on their conversation eight years ago. To his relief, Will was nowhere to be seen. "I wonder how Rebecca turned out, and where she is now," he thought aloud.

"She's probably the same stubborn, ornery Rebecca we knew," Adam grumbled, "maybe she's still looking for her fabricated uncle."

"Adam," Ben warned from his chair. He was growing tired of this topic of conversation and just wanted to get back to reading his book. Soon, Adam excused himself and went up to bed. Hoss and Ben followed him a few minutes later.

Outside, Joe took to wandering around the house, not really knowing where his feet were talking him until he found himself behind the house near the back of the corral. He leaned against the worn, wooden fence and looked toward the second story deep in thought, staring at the house so intently that it looked as if he could see right through the walls into the guest bedroom where Will was sleeping.

_I know I should tell Roy, _he thought, _because Will sure ain't, but at the same time, why should Will get punished for something he was driven to do?_ Joe dropped his head onto his arms that leaned against the fence and mumbled to the wood, "Why is it so difficult when I already know the right answer?" Joe stood up and made his way back to the front of the house, but he stopped and went rigid when he heard a scuffle coming from the second story.

Quickly, Joe dashed to the nearest bush in hiding and saw through the branches that Will was climbing out of his window. Joe's lips formed a thin line as he stood up from his hiding spot, now that the danger was gone. He waited until Will leaped to the ground before he brought attention to himself. "Whenever I have to use the outhouse I usually go through the front door, not my window."

Will jumped and spun around. "J-Joe! I… I was just-"

"-Running away," Joe finished for him. He waded out of the bushes to get closer. "What are you doing, Will? You're just going to get caught sooner or later."

"I can't turn myself in," Will said with anguish in his voice. "If I do, they'll kill me. The ranches I've stolen from around here aren't the only places I've taken things. Once the law finds that out, I'm a dead man. That's why I have to go. That way when you tip off the Sheriff tomorrow, I'll have a good lead."

"And then what?" Joe asked. "You'll steal from more ranches and more ranches until you guarantee yourself a limb on a hangin' tree. Do you want to look forward to that?"

Will raised his chin a bit higher in indignation. "What else do I have to look forward too?"

"A new life on the Ponderosa," Joe blurted, instantly regretting his words. _No turning back now._ "I won't tip off the Sheriff. We'll tell my family you confessed and only had to pay back the ranchers. You can have a clean slate, right here."

"You promise?"

At first, Joe didn't respond. He didn't want to lie- Will had been lied to all his life and he deserved a change for the better. Joe bit his tongue and prayed that Will would just let the question die off without an answer.

"Joe?" Will persisted, a move that made Joe bite his tongue harder. "Do you promise?"

Joe sighed, his heart sinking down to the dusty ground. "I promise, Will."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any rights to _Bonanza_ or anything affiliated with it.

Joe woke up the next morning and realized with a heavy heart that today was the fifth day since he struck the deal with Will, and his heart grew even heavier when he remembered the empty promise he gave to the boy the night before. Joe pulled the covers over his head not wanting to face Will, or the long day ahead, but the grumbling in his stomach forced him to change into his clothes for breakfast. When he stumbled downstairs to eat, he saw that his family was waiting to eat, though it wasn't just Joe that they were waiting for: Will was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Will?" Joe asked as he stepped off the last stair.

Adam turned around in his seat, "Is he not still sleeping?"

"Wake him up, will ya?" Hoss asked, "The food's gettin' cold."

Joe turned around and walked back up the staircase. When he reached the guest bedroom Will was using towards the end of the hall he looked in the open doorway to find that the room was empty and the bed had been made. Shock hit Joe head-on and his stomach flopped. "Will?" He called vainly, hoping beyond hope that Will was somehow still in the room. Joe bent down on his hands and knees to look under the bed but all he saw were the floorboards. Will was gone.

Joe stood up so fast that his head started to spin, but he didn't care. He turned on his heel and was about to run back down the stairs to alert his family, but as he passed Adam's room there was a movement that caught his eye. He nearly fell over his feet turning around on a dime to enter his brother's room where he saw Will staring at the small collection of books Adam had. "Will!" Joe spoke, relieved.

Will turned around and a faint blush colored his cheeks, "Sorry, Joe. I was going to walk down to breakfast and then I passed Adam's room and saw all the books, so I wanted to see what they were and I just lost track of time."

Joe thankfully sighed, "I thought you left for good when I didn't see you in your room."

"Don't worry, Joe," Will smiled half-heartedly. He walked over to Joe and clasped a hand on Joe's shoulder, "I never go back on a promise."

Joe feebly smiled back. "C'mon, Hoss is hungry for some breakfast." The two went down the stairs together and promptly sat at the table, much to Hoss's relief.

As they were eating, Ben spoke up, "Will, Joseph, I have a few supplies that I need in town and I'd like for you two to pick them up for me."

Will grinned, "Sure thing, Mr. Cartwright."

Ben smiled, "The money is on my desk in the alcove along with the list of supplies."

* * *

><p>As Will and Joe trotted onto Main Street, Joe handed Will a few coins, "I'll meet you inside the Silver Dollar. I'll go fetch the supplies; there isn't much- enough to fit in my saddle bags."<p>

"Don't be too late," Will grinned as he held up the coins, "or my eyesight might be too blurry to see you." Joe laughed and the two waved each other off before they went their opposite directions.

Will entered the Silver Dollar in a good mood, the only thing weighing down on him were the coins in his pockets. He took no time in associating himself with the worn bar table and the nearest barstool, "Bottle'a whiskey!" He called to the barman with a smile. It was that smile that caught the eye of one of the saloon girls.

Annie abandoned the card game she was watching and sat in the stool next to Will. "Why, hello. I haven't seen you in here before."

Will turned around, his bottle forgotten on the table. "And I you. My name's Will. Will Carder." He flashed another wide grin as he stuck out his hand.

"My, you sure are bold once you've had a drink in you," Annie smirked. She met his hand with her own, "are you sure you can handle that whole bottle?"

Instead of shaking her hand as Annie had expected, Will turned her hand over and kissed it, his eyes trained on her face the whole time to watch her reaction, "Miss, I haven't even takin' a sip yet."

Annie's breath hitched at Will's actions and she silently berated herself. He could probably tell she was new to being a saloon girl. It wasn't long though that Annie got a hold of her bearings and decided to play her own little trick. "Then you're a natural big talker." She leaned close enough to Will's ear that her eyelashes gave him butterfly kisses. "Though you're probably even greener than I am," she whispered.

"Uh-uh, ma'am?" Annie got the stutter she was looking for. "Ma'am, it's best you not sit t-too close. I-I haven't taken a bath i-in a few da-days." Will heard a few men snicker next to him at the bar, so he sat straighter and cleared his voice, "I've been handlin' cattle the past week and I don't want you t' spoil your pretty dress with all the dust that's on me."

Annie supported her head in her hand that leaned against the tabletop, "You handle cattle? Sounds fascinating."

"It's more hard work than anything, ma'am."

"Oh," Annie waved her hand in the air, "you don't have to call me ma'am. My name is Annie."

"Annie," Will breathed happily, "My name's Will."

The girl giggled, "I know, you've already told me."

Will tried to play off Annie's comment to the best of his abilities, but a blush snuck its way up his neck and into his cheeks. "W-When do you get off? I can walk you home."

"I get off at eight."

"I'll be here," Will grinned wide. He opened his mouth to say something else, but he was cut off by his own name being called from behind him near the saloon's entrance.

"William Carder, you're under arrest for ranch thievin'."

Will turned and saw Sheriff Roy Coffee with his hands on his hips, one of them near the handle of his gun, just in case. "What? I haven't stolen anything, where's your proof?"

Roy turned his head to look over the batwing doors to look at a figure outside to which he nodded his head. He stared into the street for a few more seconds until he looked back at a shocked Will. "Someone tipped me off today and presented me with enough facts that have me convinced to lock you up until the circuit judge get's here in a month."

Anger and betrayal coursed through Will like his own blood that was pumping quickly in his veins. His eyebrows furrowed and his eyes narrowed. In a loud voice he responded, "Well, why doesn't he want to show his face? It's not like I don't already know who lied to me. Why don't you show yourself, Joe? I know you're out there!"

Sheriff Coffee quickly walked over to Will and handcuffed him behind his back before Will could grab for the gun at his side. "Now stop this and follow me. Struggling will only get you nowhere." He shoved Will to his feet and led him out of the saloon. The men in the bar stared for a moment but then went back to their beer. Annie started at his retreating figure even after he was out of sight.

When Will was led out into the street, he saw Joe looking straight at him with his shoulders slumped and his hands in his pockets. "You're a coward, Joe," Will seethed as he and the Sheriff past him. Joe didn't put up a fight, he just kept staring at Will with sad eyes. "You're a no good liar too. And to think I trusted you."

Joe closed his eyes in pain, "I did this for your own good. You'd get shot someday if you kept this up," he mumbled.

Something snapped inside Will. His eyes grew livid and his hands itched to punch Joe square in the nose. "I told you I wouldn't do any more'a that while I was working on the Ponderosa. Why didn't you trust me? I trusted you!" He bent to spit on the dirt in front of Joe's feet. Roy shoved Will on at a quicker speed towards the jail, but it didn't deter Will from turning around and yelling one last time. "I trusted you, Joseph Cartwright! I trusted you!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any rights to _Bonanza_ or anything affiliated with it.

It was after lunch on Sunday and Ben was contentedly reading the paper inside the alcove while Adam was again trumping Hoss in checkers. "I don't even know why I play you any more, older brother," Hoss commented glumly. He moved one of his pieces straight into a trap. "What's the use tryin' t' even stall my losing?"

"Oh, Hoss," Adam said cheerfully as he skipped three of Hoss's four remaining checker pieces. "Losing isn't that bad."

"So says you. I don't think I've beaten you once since I was born."

Ben chuckled from behind his newspaper, "Don't worry, Hoss, he lost his fair share against me when he was growing up."

"But Pa, this ain't the same thing- I _am _grown up and I'm _still _losin'." Hoss moved his last surviving piece into a compromising position that ended the game.

It was then that Joe came down the stairs with a miserable expression on his face. His family looked up but they didn't ask why he looked so miserable- they knew that he took Will's arrest hard. Joe fell into the settee and looked down at the coffee table where _Robinson Crusoe_ lay. He picked up the book only to look at it listlessly before he put it back. "Joe, would you want to play chess with me?" Adam asked, "Perhaps your cheating will keep me on my toes." Adam's question was answered with a shrug.

"Joseph," Ben called from the alcove, "you made the right decision in telling Roy."

"He trusted me not to tell," Joe spoke gravelly, his vocal chords not used to speaking very often. "He's been lied to all his life and I wanted to change that but I didn't."

"I don't see how it would have mattered," Adam commented. Joe glared at his older brother, though Adam just shrugged and continued, "He was just asking you to lie for him. Obviously, he doesn't mind lies as much as you think he does."

Carefully watching the subtle clues Joe indicated in his working jaw and narrowed eyes that a match was about to commence, Ben spoke up quickly, "Perhaps this will ease your mind, Joseph," He started reading aloud from an article in the newspaper, " 'William Carder, aged seventeen, escaped from the Virginia City Jailhouse Friday night. Sheriff Coffee explained that the boy escaped when Deputy McHardy opened his cell to give him dinner. Carder hit McHardy over the head and left the jail as Coffee was making his rounds. He was last seen at the Silver Dollar talking with one of the saloon girls, who had also disappeared since Carder's escape. Carder was jailed for his connection to the ranch robberies that occurred earlier this month.' "

Joe bit his lip before he spoke. "I'm glad he escaped, but I also feel that he's just creating more trouble for himself. Next time he's caught I don't think he'll be so lucky." He thought for a minute as he stared at his hands on his knees. He looked up and saw his family looking at him, "I'm going for a ride to clear my head. I'll be back for lunch."

Ben understood and nodded his head. Joe stood up and grabbed his gun belt and hat before he left the house. Deep in thought, Joe was looking at his boots as he walked to the barn to get Cochise. He opened the heavy barn doors and paused, letting his eyes get accustomed to the darkness. Once he could see again, Joe walked over to Cochise's stall and saw not only his horse, but Will Carder crouching next to her water pail. "Will!" Joe exclaimed. He looked back at the barn doors to make sure none of his family followed him before he crouched down next to the boy and whispered, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to say goodbye," Will replied, his green eyes holding Joe's with a steady gaze, "I know why you did what you did, Joe. I understand, but that doesn't mean I have to trust you again."

Joe looked at one of Cochise's hooves in disappointment, "I didn't expect you to anyway."

"I'm leaving," Will went on, "Somewhere east of here. You can tell the Sheriff that when he comes, he's leading a search that's headed in this direction."

"Will-"

"Annie and I are hiding a mile from here. I met her in the Silver Dollar before I was arrested and we're leaving together and never coming back." Will interrupted. He stood up to leave and Joe stood with him, "Thanks for giving me a job for as long as you did. It was nice knowing you."

Joe sighed, "Will, I-"

Will's sad smile cut Joe off. He patted Joe on the shoulder, "Goodbye, Joe." He moved past Joe and was out of the barn in a flash.

Joe stood next to Cochise, thinking about what he should do. _Pa's just inside the house_, he thought. _I can run right in and tell him. He could go fetch Roy while I track down Will._ Joe took a step towards the house but he stopped himself. _No, I can't. Will would be hung for sure. But all the same, he's a fugitive. It would be right to catch him._ Joe sighed in frustration and kicked at a nearby bale of hay. For a moment he stood silent. He looked up at his horse and whispered with a smile, "Maybe just this once." He quickly saddled Cochise, mounted, and rode off in the opposite direction of Virginia City, deep into Ponderosa territory.

**THE END**

* * *

><p>Will Carder was based upon William E. Carder, a notorious gambler, thief, gunman, and murderer who was shot on December 10, 1864 in Aurora, Nevada when he was 33 years old. <em>We've Still Got Us<em> and _A Second Chance Diverted_ were my attempts at explaining how and why he turned against the law.


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